Township Consolidation Task Force Taken to Task

A press release from the group who initiated the township consolidation discussion:

Township Task Force Misses Mark

Citizen Organization Disappointed Township Elected Officials

Crystal Lake, IL September 8, 2015 — The McHenry County Citizens for Township Consolidation (MCC4TC) have expressed their disappointment in the elected officials of many of the McHenry County Townships for their attempt to derail the outcome of the McHenry County Township Task Force which was formed to accomplish two objectives; bring forward a map of proposed consolidations and resolutions for Township consolidation for the full County Board to consider.

Members of the Township Consolidation Task Force, from left to right, Mike Shorten, Donna Kurtz, Roger Naylor, Michele Aavang and Carolyn Schofield.

Members of the Township Consolidation Task Force, from left to right, Mike Shorten, Donna Kurtz, Roger Naylor, Michele Aavang and Carolyn Schofield.

Task Force Chairman Carolyn Schofield scheduled three meetings to accomplish the two objectives, but unfortunately a large number of current and former elected Township officials were allowed to monopolize the meetings with unrestricted public comments that were not relevant to the goals of the Task force.

Discussion about the best combination of Townships to bring forward to the County board did not take place until the end of the last meeting.

While we appreciate the intent of McHenry County Board Chairman Joe Gottemoller to provide Township officials an opportunity to participate as task force members, it is regrettable that not one township official either on the task force or speaking during public comments was remotely open to allowing the voters to express their wishes on consolidation at the ballot box.

It is also regrettable that the two county board members serving on the task force allowed the rhetoric of elected Township officials to influence their ability to complete the task force goals.

Despite the failure of the Task Force to complete the given tasks, we encourage the County Board members to remember the tens of thousands of property owners seeking relief from suffocating taxes.

Voters have overwhelming told McHenry County Citizens for Township Consolidation members they want the opportunity to vote on the Township Consolidation issue in the March 2016 primary.

While we expect that elected Township officials will continue to work to deny the voters a voice,

it is our hope that County Board members will grant greater weight to the wishes of their constituents instead of elected Township officials who are advocating for the status quo.


Comments

Township Consolidation Task Force Taken to Task — 22 Comments

  1. Where were all these citizens when they had a chance to speak in public.

    What this really sounds like they are trying to make up excuses because they really have nothing to say just a lot of hot air.the township taxes are not going to change .

    If they really wanted to save us all some tax money they should be going after all the school boards and the conservation district that is where our money is being wasted.

  2. Most people don’t even know this process is even happening, how can there be and overwhelming call for a vote?

    Why was this group of power grabbing dudes allowed to have this advanced without a petition to show real support.

    How come this group made the county tax payers pay for research they should have supplied themselves?

  3. Grumpy- working citizens could not leave work at sit at the meetings for 4 or 5 hours.

    Lots of township people able to attend because they were able to sit there instead to go to work.

    There were citizens that spoke in favor of getting it on the ballot.

    They stuck to the 3 minute rule, however, township people were allowed to go on and on speaking endlessly.

    the fact that so many township workers were able to attend on township time, being paid by the tax payers, speak volumes to why they are a problem that needs fixing.

    Consolidation WILL CUT COSTS.

    Why are the township people SO AFRAID to let the taxpayers have a vote on the ballot.

    Is it afraid of exposure, transparency??

  4. I want more bike paths and the townships should be able to help fund them, build some rest areas along the way, etc.

  5. Fred – what you want is usually handled by the Conservation District.

  6. Still no answer on the cost cutting .

    What a surprise that’s because the don’t have one.they never had any real facts and for some reason we as taxpayers had to foot the bill for county staff to try and come up with their information .

    What a total embarrassment this whole fiasco has been .

  7. Well said Grumpy.

    jamesK is all about emotion and anti gov, which is half of what this deal is.

    The other half is the power grab, the hero’s of consolidation, vote for me nonsense.

    No good numbers or facts as proof.

  8. I stuck to the three minutes.

    In addition I presented data.

    The group pushing for this ill- advised consolidation presented NOTHING other than they wanted to eliminate half of the Township officials and save forty million dollars!

    To accomplish that goal they presented HOPE!

    This entire exercise was a waste of taxpayer dollars and time.

    We all know what happened the last time the voters were sold HOPE!

    Those of you still advocating for consolidations refuse to accept the logic that Consolidation will result in new buildings, higher salaries and union representation for the Township workers.

    IT WILL NOT REDUCE OUR TAXES!

    My only interest in this fiasco was that I knew it will raise taxes.

    Do I trust the voters?

    Yes with a but.

    The but is that if the board approves any referendum they must publish the new tax rates which will apply, as part of the referendum.

    People pushing referendums have a reputation of not giving the voters the information they need to make an informed decision.

    The 708 Board referendum did not contain information to indicate the future waste of taxpayer dollars on legal fees, a new building etc.

    The Senior tax referendum did not contain information to indicate that in the future some of the money would be directed to transportation and religious organizations.

    The Valley Hi tax did not contain information relative to the build up of $40,000,000 in cash reserves.

    The Conservation referdums never indicated that tax payer dollars would be used to build up a sizable police force equipped with Harley Davidson motorcycles.

    In this attempt at getting referendums placed on the ballot the so-called Citizens group for consolidation failed to present any facts to backup their claimed HOPE of savings.

    There are many ways to reduce our taxes but any Township consolidation is guaranteed to result in higher taxes as my spreadsheets and attached notes have shown.

    Show me how you can guarantee a tax reduction!

  9. Oh! I forgot to ask.

    Why did the ‘press release’ not mention the number of dots on each of the four scenario maps?

  10. Fred, you’re part of the reason taxes are so high, asking for extra stuff.

    No money for extras without tax increases.

    Say do a few cookie sales and pay for it. Works for me.

  11. Before this goes to a vote, the county needs to go out of it’s way to make all info available.

    More cost to the tax payers, but we need that info to make a good choice in our vote.

    Info in the NWH, Cal’s blog, mailers to every single piece of property’s owner.

    We need a educated vote, not just anti gov nonsense that will end up costing us more.

    No surprise surprise please.

  12. For the record, Chemung and Dunham Township halls AND garages are not four blocks apart as claimed by Mr. Walkup and supporters of Consolidation.

    Driving and walking distance is close to two miles.

  13. County Board members, if you want to save the $40 million promised by the misfits that thought this up and saw it through, just refund the surplus in the Valley Hi fund.

  14. Also calling bullshit on the “task force” for throwing blame around.

    Of course township supporters showed up, those for it were there too.

    We all want our taxes lowered and the only way is to get rid of state pensions.

    This is just a distraction

  15. Where is the spreadsheet showing how money will be saved by consolidating townships.

    Why are property taxes so high?

    1. Pensions and retiree healthcare.

    2. Salaries and current benefits.

    3. Bonds.

    And if pensions and retiree healthcare was fully funded, if bonds were paid like a traditional mortgage with payments spread equally over the years instead of increasing every year aka backloading the payments (they don’t always increase every year but that’s very common), property taxes would be much higher.

    Kick the can, hide and seek, catch me if you can.

  16. The only objective way to analyze if township consolidation would or would not reduce costs and thereby taxes would be to hire a professional from one of our state universities and give them the task of analyzing the pros and cons of consolidation and the cost effectiveness of consolidation.

    Then, taxpayers would be presented with an objective look at the facts instead of dealing with the opinions of everyone who has a vested interested.

    Our County Board, once again, dropped the ball and was paralyzed in this task.

    Springfield has come to McHenry County.

  17. There’s a ton of work that can be done without hiring a professional.

    Basic comparative information hasn’t even been presented on a spreadsheet.

    High school kids and college kids could do that.

  18. How startling that the County Board’s objections are not to the Task Force’s zero work ethic, complete lack of facts and figures, and their inability to develop a simple cost-benefit study.

    No, the McHenry County Board instead objects that the public was allowed to voice their opinions and concerns on a political proposal that, by the Task Force’s own admission, will forcibly create “winners and losers” among of local taxpayers.

    Classic McHenry County, Classic Illinois…

  19. Oh my goodness, it was Wonder Lake Barber Bob Anderson’s group of anti-government cronies who lodged these objections, NOT the McHenry County Board itself?

    Well, give it time, and I’m sure we’ll be hearing the same tune shortly from County “leaders” like Joe Gottemoeller and Mike Walkup…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *